The Wheel
by brighterideas
Summary: It starts with a dream followed by a wish that will lead Rachel Berry on an adventure she could never have predicted. [Slight AU, eventual femslash]
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note: Hello, and welcome! This idea has been with me for many years now and I'm very excited to finally be sharing it. I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I am enjoying writing it. Thanks for clicking!

Warnings: Like season one, but with a few drastic changes, which will make themselves known rather quickly. Rating should hover between K and T for quite some time. This will eventually be femslash, so please consider that before reading. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character contained here. Glee and its character belong to Ryan Murphy and company. No copywrite infringement intended, and no profit made.

PROLOGUE

**"All human beings are also dream beings. Dreaming ties all mankind together." JACK KEROUAC**

It was a cold December night when Rachel Berry turned sixteen, and all was quiet in her small Ohio town. As many great stories do, Rachel's began with a dream.

Everyone knew that Rachel was a dreamer, meant for stardom well beyond the sleepy town of Lima. She certainly had never been shy in admitting it. Since childhood she'd dreamed of the stage, of being bathed in the spotlight while thousands watched her perform in awe. She longed to act and sing and dance her heart out, each night for the rest of her life if she could.

She dreamed of Broadway.

And as she slept most nights her dreams were filled with tap numbers and monologues, with bright lights and the big city of New York. But on this night, the night she left being fifteen behind forever, Rachel's dream was quite different. For starters, it took place in the woods.

Now, Rachel was not exactly what one might call adventurous. She preferred to stay indoors, away from vocal chord damaging chills, and dirt and bugs. As a child she had spent little time running around with the neighborhood kids, choosing instead to dedicate her time to dance classes, vocal training and self directed one girl shows. In grade school she spent recess in the choir room, going over scales with an eternally patient music teacher, instead of on the playground. For her life Rachel could scarcely recall ever having been in the woods.

In her dream the trees were thick, the leaves bright with the reds and yellows of Autumn. She was small, perhaps five or six and running faster than her Mary Janes could carry her. There was a chill in the air, and goosebumps covered her arms. She had no time to wonder why she wasn't wearing a jacket as an overwhelming sensation of fear came over her. Something was chasing her.

Her little lungs, stronger than most even at that age, burned as she ran, and she stumbled more than once over rocks and exposed roots. She could hear her pursuer closing in on her, leaves crunching just behind her. Still, she pushed on.

Rounding a large boulder she ducked behind it, wedging her little body in between the rock and a nearby tree, eyes squeezed shut, praying for someone, anyone to come save her. She stayed as still as she could manage for what felt like an eternity, tiny fists clenched at her sides until her curiosity got the better of her.

Cracking one brown eye open, she gasped. Someone was crouched before her. Not the terrifying someone that had been chasing her before, but a young woman.

Before little dream Rachel could process the situation, the real Rachel's alarm clicked on, filtering the soft sounds of the radio through her room, waking her abruptly. Sitting straight up in her bed, she realized that she was sweating, shaking and completely out of breath. Even as she trembled the dream began to slip away, like water through cupped fingers.

Blinking rapidly as brown eyes adjusted to the daylight coming through her curtains, she managed to retain the image of the woods, and the acute sensation of fear. By the time she had reached over to switch the alarm off, she had regained her breath. As she rose from the bed to begin her day Rachel put the dream behind her completely.

Her morning workout and shower passed quickly, and she dressed in her favorite outfit before heading downstairs. The smell of her favorite tofu scramble filled the kitchen, and before she could even comment on the delicious aroma, both of her fathers had wrapped her up in a group hug.

"Happy birthday, baby!" Jonah Berry cheered, squeezing her shoulders and pressing a kiss into her cheek. Rachel was almost as tall as him, and she pressed her face into his shoulder. Marcus Berry had a good two feet on both of them, his arms wrapping almost completely around each of the loves of his life.

"Okay, oxygen." She chided, and they released her, but not before Jonah pressed one more kiss to her temple. Ever the drama queen, just like his daughter. Marcus returned to the stove to finish plating their meals, and Rachel took her usual seat at the breakfast table.

"So, Miss Sixteen year old. How do you feel? Older? Wiser?" Jonah teased as he folded the newspaper he'd been reading back into shape. Rachel wrinkled her nose at him as she poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"While I am a year older numerically, in reality I am but one day older than I was yesterday." She said around a healthy sip. "So no, no big change so far."

"Well I think you look older." Jonah said. "Doesn't she look older, Mark?"

"We'd better stock up on anti-wrinkle cream and depends." Marcus added, bringing their plates to the table and taking his seat. "It'll be time to check her into the nursing home soon."

"Hush, you old farts. I'm the one who will be buying the both of you depends and denture cream in no time."

Jonah gasped, bringing his hand to his chest and feigning hurt. "Oh, daughter of mine. You slay me with your vicious words."

"Don't dish it out if you can't take it, Old Man." Rachel grinned, before digging in to her favorite meal. As they ate they continued to poke fun at one another, and Rachel could not have asked for a better birthday breakfast. While she wouldn't be winning Homecoming Queen or Miss Popularity any time soon, she could always count on her dads to be her two best friends.

"I'd better get going." Rachel said as she carried her now empty plate over to the sink. She rinsed it thoroughly before moving to kiss both men on the cheek. "I'm sure they'll be holding a parade in my honor before homeroom and I wouldn't want to miss it."

Jonah and Marcus both laughed and shook their heads, standing to clear their own plates. They both knew that Rachel didn't have many friends, and while it broke their hearts to think that their little girl might be lonely, she had always kept her chin up on the subject and never told them of the bullying she had endured over the years.

After wishing her one more happy birthday they watched their little girl who was so quickly becoming a woman disappear through the front door.

Of course there was no parade waiting when Rachel arrived at William McKinley High School. In fact, there was no one waiting at all. Aside from her first period Spanish teacher, Mr. Schuester, not one person had wished her a happy birthday until lunch. Rachel didn't mind, much. Sure it would have been nice to be surrounded by people who appreciated and cared for her, but she was sure that one day she would have that. Her dreams of the stage were enough, for now. At least, that's what she told herself.

It was in third period English that Kurt Hummel, whom she knew from Glee Club looked at her with narrowed eyes as though he was trying to remember something. Rachel simply raised her eyebrows at him for a moment before a look of realization crossed his pretty face.

"It's your birthday." He said in a cool tone, one corner of his mouth turning up a bit. She couldn't help but beam back at him, an almost full watt Rachel Berry smile.

"That is correct, Kurt!" He looked her up and down before shrugging one shoulder and turning his attention back to the fashion magazine open on his desk.

"I thought you looked older."

Rachel's smile fell, but she said nothing as she switched her focus to the head of the class where the teacher was about to begin the lesson. It hadn't been an insult, per say, but she knew that from Kurt Hummel any comment on your looks could be taken as such.

By the time Glee Club rolled around, her good mood had only deteriorated further. She'd spent lunch alone in the choir room, as usual going over songs she'd perfected long ago, simply to keep herself busy. Between calculus and chemistry one of the jocks had blasted her with a cherry Slushy, completely ruining her favorite sweater and bringing tears to her stinging eyes.

As was routine, no one had offered to help, or really acknowledged the incident with anything besides laughter. Tina Cohen-Chang and Artie Abrams looked slightly guilty from across the hall, but said nothing and she was forced to clean up alone in the girls bathroom.

When she entered the choir room for the second time it was in her second outfit of the day, with a frown on her face. The rest of the club had yet to arrive and she took her usual seat in the front row, busying herself compiling a possible set list for Regionals.

One by one the others filtered in, none looking very enthused to be there. Finn Hudson, captain of the football team and Rachel's only tentative school friend lumbered in and took the seat beside her, offering her a token sideways smile.

Rachel grinned back at him. He really was very cute, and very sweet to her when no one else was around. Sure, he wasn't exactly bright and their only shared interest was Glee, but it was better to have Finn than to have no one.

"Hello, Finn." She said politely, closing the open notebook on her lap. His smile went from crooked to bright and straight. Sometimes she could almost convince herself that he perhaps liked her more than he let on.

"Hey, Rach." His smile fell and the confused look that often graced his boyishly handsome face replaced it. "You've got slushy in your hair."

"Oh." She reached up quickly, running fingers through her long dark hair, her eyes dropping to the floor with the smallest hint of shame.

"Here." He reached over, plucking a chunk of ice from below her ear his smile returning. She looked up again to thank him, but he had already busied himself with hurling the slushy's remains at Noah Puckerman. This started a paper ball fight between most of the boys that took up the remainder of time until Mr. Schuester entered, late as usual.

"Alright, guys!" He held up his hands, but was laughing along with most of his students. "Time for the great paper war to end, let's get started."

Puck and Finn both grumbled, with Puck sneaking in one more projectile before they all faced forward, paying as much attention as they usually did.

"Now, I know Regionals are coming up in a few weeks and if we're going to beat some of the great teams who are going to be there we're going to need to have a killer set. Does anyone have any ideas?"

Rachel's hand shot into the air before the question was entirely out of his mouth, and he politely let her offer up her ideas from various musical theater productions, despite the eye rolls from many of her team mates.

"Those are all great ideas, Rachel but they're a lot like what we've done before. If we're going to make it to Nationals we need to start drawing inspiration from areas we've never tried before!"

"Does that mean no more horrible 80's covers?" Santana Lopez asked dryly from the back row where she'd been filing her nails. Beside her Brittany Pierce nodded excitedly. The two often came in a set, their matching Cheerios uniforms always pristine and perfect. Where Santana was hard and snarky, Brittany was soft and sweet and in a strange way their dynamic was perfect.

"No, Santana. No more 80's covers." Mr. Schue conceded. It was true the team had done more than their fair share of those, and even Rachel had started to lose her enthusiasm toward the end of their third Journey cover.

"Where are we supposed to get inspiration, Mr. Schue?" Artie asked, raising his gloved hand slightly. At this their instructor held up a hand and moved to the white board, writing clearly across it "FIELD TRIP".

'Cools' and 'all rights' mixed together as varying levels of excitement rippled throughout the room. Rachel found herself more or less curious as to what this could mean and where they could go in the tiny town to draw inspiration from.

"We spend almost all of our time together in this room." Mr. Schuester continued, and Rachel nodded her consent, as well as a few others. "If we're going to really blow this one out of the water, I say we get out. So I was thinking, since the weather is supposed to stay mild for the next few days that we should try and see what we can draw from the outdoors!"

"Like, the football field?" Finn asked, again wearing a mask of confusion. Santana grumbled and Puck chucked another paper ball at his head.

"I was thinking more like the lake." Mr. Schue offered. "I know it's too late in the year for swimming, but the water is still beautiful and there are some great hiking trails around that area."

"Are you kidding me?" Santana asked incredulously, and Rachel for once was inclined to agree. She had thought perhaps the local amphitheater, or maybe the park. But hiking was no where close to her idea of 'inspirational.'

"Mr. Schuester," She interjected, raising her hand. "I've got to side with Santana on this one, as shocking as it may seem. The cold weather might damage our vocal chords which is something we should not risk so close to sectionals."

"Don't worry, Rachel. We'll wear scarves." He disregarded her with a small wave of his hand. "Come on, guys! It will be fun! We'll get out there, see what sort of ideas mother nature has to give us. And really bond as a group." When no one seemed to agree, he sighed. "And it will get you all out of sixth and seventh period tomorrow."

At that the bored faces seemed to light up, and soon almost everyone had switched from uninterested to enthusiastic about the idea. Only Rachel had yet to be convinced, and she'd considered pulling the birthday card, but before she could fully construct an argument, the session had come to a close.

"Get your parents to sign these permission slips tonight, guys. If you don't have one you won't be able to come on the trip tomorrow, and we're going to need to do this as a group if we really want to make it to Nationals!"

Begrudgingly Rachel accepted the slip of paper, tucking it safely into her notebook. It was official, this birthday was turning out to be nothing like she had hoped.

Instead of going out with some of her team mates, like others might have on such an occasion, Rachel went from the Glee meeting, straight home. She took a long, hot shower to finally rid herself of the remnants of slushy that still clung to her, before changing into more comfortable clothes. Homework done, chores finished and another Myspace video completed, she finally made her way downstairs for dinner.

Marcus, always the family chef was just putting the finishing touches on some vegan lasagne as she took her seat at the table.

"Hey, birthday girl. How was your day? Did you save me any candy from the parade?" She didn't have the heart to tell him that no one had showered her with candy that day, only with slushy.

"Sorry, Dad. The parade was called due to weather."

"Ah, well. I don't need the sugar anyway. You know I'm trying to watch my girlish figure." Coming from a six foot three, two hundred pound black man, the statement was comical and Rachel's smile finally returned to her face. They told each other about their days and finished setting the table together until Jonah arrived home from work.

"Hello, family!" He bellowed as he entered the kitchen, dropping his coat and briefcase onto a bar stool. They both greeted him, and Marcus swatted his husband's hand away as he tried to pick at the salad that was just getting finished up. Rachel watched her dads interact with a soft smile on her face. She may not have had the world's greatest school life, but she definitely had the greatest parents.

After a delicious meal, Marcus brought out a home made birthday cake with sixteen candles on top, and the two men sang to her enthusiastically before insisting she blow them out.

As Rachel squeezed her eyes shut, she remembered for just a moment having done the same thing in her dream the night before. Searching her brain for the perfect wish, she took a deep breath.

'I wish I had a friend.' She thought, before blowing out all sixteen candles in a single breath. Her fathers burst into a round of applause and she stood to give a slight curtsey.

Marcus cut and served the cake as Rachel and Jonah licked the frosting from the ends of all sixteen candles, while giggling together like children.

"So what did you wish for, Rach?" Jonah asked as he scooped up the candles.

"If I tell you it won't come true!" She laughed, accepting the piece of delicious looking cake her father offered her, not hesitating before taking a big bite. It was just as marvelous as she expected, and was of course her favorite.

"You're no fun." Jonah pouted, but the expression was quickly gone as he dug into his own cake. Rachel would have stuck her tongue out at him if she wasn't so busy eating.

"Speaking of no fun, that reminds me. Mr. Schuester wants to take us on a field trip to the lake tomorrow, from which we are supposed to draw inspiration." She explained with a slight roll of her eyes.

"Well, that sounds like fun." Marcus conceded, the more outdoorsy member of the family. He had been a big fan of both hunting and fishing, before he'd met Jonah who'd made an honest, albeit reluctant, vegan out of him.

"Good, then you can attend for me and take notes." Rachel grinned around a mouthful of cake. "I don't think my muse lives in the woods. I see no need to go traipsing through the cold right before a big competition and risk getting sick."

"Rach, that's not a very good attitude." Jonah chided lightly. While he too was no fan of the outdoors, he thought it might be good for her to get out with her team mates for more than just rehearsal and competitions. Perhaps this could lead to some quality bonding between the teenagers.

"Your dad's right," Marcus added. "It will do you some good to get out of the house for a few hours." Rachel sighed, setting her fork down and moving over to her backpack to fetch the permission slip.

"Fine, I will go. But be warned. If I get even the slightest sniffle from this little excursion you will both be paying the price. And the price means getting the good tea from the tea shop, not the pre-bagged stuff from the grocery store."

Her father's both nodded their consent, and each signed the slip before returning it to their daughter who returned it to her notebook.

"Give it a chance, baby girl. The whole thing might just surprise you. Maybe you're dreams of Broadway will be replaced with dreams of becoming a mountain woman."

"I hardly think so." She dead panned. They chatted for a bit longer about the trip, discussing what she should wear and what snacks would be appropriate, before Rachel excused herself to her room for the evening.

It had been a normal day, despite being her birthday, but Rachel found that she was uncharacteristically tired. Before it was even nine p.m she had crawled into bed. After making sure her alarm was set for the usual time, she quickly drifted off to sleep, and right back to the beginning of her dream from the night before.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, little girl, what's your rush? You're missing all the flowers. The sun won't set for hours, take your time. STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S INTO THE WOODS**

"This was a terrible idea." Rachel mumbled around the thick, wool scarf that was wrapped tightly around her neck and the lower half of her face. The school day had gone much more quickly than she would have liked, and before she knew it she and the rest of the Glee Club had been dragged onto a school bus and out into the middle of nowhere.

It had been dry for the last few days and there was no snow around to make the scenery beautiful, and so they found themselves surrounded by a dull grey lake, and a forest of bare, dark trees.

The temperature was just slightly above freezing and Rachel had bundled up accordingly, in no way risking getting sick before Regionals because of some silly idea Mr. Schuester had about bolstering togetherness and creativity. She considered herself to be rather together and creative already.

With her heaviest boots, a wool cap, gloves, scarf and a giant down jacket that made her look like a big blueberry, Rachel was definitely the most prepared for the cold weather. While several of the team members had warn hats and scarves, only a few had thought to bring gloves, and poor Santana and Brittany were still in their Cheerios uniforms.

Finn, who seemed immune to the cold was in his usual flannel shirt and puffy vest. He and Mr. Schue led the group as they trecked up a tiny path, away from the lake and into the thick woods. The atmosphere reminded Rachel of the dream she'd now had two nights in a row and she found herself shivering not just from the cold.

"Any temperature below forty degrees dries out my skin." Kurt grumbled beside her, the two of them keeping pace slightly behind the rest of the group. He too had a thick scarf wrapped around his head, and was wearing a large, furry cap that reminded her of something out of Anastasia.

"Perhaps we could do non denominational holiday songs?" She offered, hoping that maybe if they came to some sort of conclusion on a set list that Mr. Schuester would allow them to go home.

"In December? Honey, that's so played out I'll bet even Finn has thought of it by now." And surely enough a few snippets of Finn talking about Frosty The Snowman with Mr. Schue filtered back to them. Rachel sighed. This was going to be a long day.

"My nipples could cut freaking glass right now." Puck complained and Mercedes Jones, the only one of them who could seem to keep the mohawked boy inline, smacked him upside the head with a gloved hand. He winced, but said nothing and the group continued on.

Just ahead of Rachel and Kurt, Brittany had practically wrapped herself around Santana seeking any kind of warmth. Rachel felt sorry for the girls, but would not risk getting sick by giving them any of her clothing. Surely they could have brought something to change in to after they'd left the school.

"Guys, check out this rock formation ahead. Isn't it beautiful?" Mr. Schuester asked in his usual excited tone. He received a few grumbles in return, and stopped walking, turning to face all of them. "Now come on, team! This is fun. We're having an adventure and we're having it together. Already Finn has made some great suggestions. I want the rest of you to follow his lead, and think about how mother nature can inspire you. What do these woods make you feel?"

"Well, I've got to pee." Artie offered. The trail was barely wide enough for his all-terrain wheelchair, and he had still managed to keep ahead of Rachel and Kurt.

"Over share much?" Santana asked in disgust, and Artie merely shrugged. Mr. Schuester encouraged him to head just off the trail to relieve himself, before concluding that they could all do with some exploration.

"This trail splits off into several smaller ones after the rocks here. They are clearly marked, and maintained by the park rangers. I want you all to split off into groups and do some exploring! Really bond with nature, and each other to get the creative juices flowing!"

"Mr. Schuester." Rachel raised a gloved hand from the back of the huddled group. "Not only does that sound unsafe, but didn't we come here to bond as a group in the first place?"

"And that's exactly what we'll be doing, Rachel!" He offered, basically ignoring her question and clapping his hands together. "All right, troops. Let's head out! Everyone buddy up and we'll meet back here in one hour. That will give us plenty of time to get back to the bus before sunset."

With that he and Finn took off down one particularly windy path, once again chatting about Christmas Carols. Mercedes and Puck looked at each other and shrugged before heading over to the rock formation to poke around. Kurt quickly abandoned her side to follow them.

Before she could register where exactly the rest of the group had gone, Rachel found herself standing on the trail alone. Sighing, she tucked her gloved hands into her pockets, deciding to go down the widest, most clearly defined path. She was fairly certain it was the same one Artie and Tina had just gone down, and she was sure that they would allow her to walk with them.

As she trudged along, Rachel began to notice that it was very quiet. There seemed to be no birds in the trees, or wildlife scurrying along the forest floor. The only sound that accompanied her was the sound of her own footsteps. She began humming to herself as she went along, sure that she would catch up to the others at any minute.

Hearing something rustle behind her, she whipped around but no one was there. The trail was empty in both directions, as far as she could see. All she could see were trees, towering high above, almost blocking out the overcast sky. Turning back around she continued on for a minute or two. She'd surely been walking for a while now, and there was no way Artie's wheelchair could have made it over the rocky terrain that had started a few minutes back.

Turning back around she squinted down the path, only just realizing that the trail was not as wide as she had once thought. In fact, the small path that she had been walking along didn't appear to be part of the trail at all.

She whipped back around. But that was impossible. She clearly remembered getting on the path and walking straight, all the way until she'd heard that rustling. Perhaps that had been when she'd gotten off course, she considered.

There was the sharp snap of a twig to her right and she spun around once more, her dark eyes wide and alert. She had known this trip was a horrible idea, and now she was going to be eaten by a bear or something and never get to be on Broadway.

"Hello?" She called out softly, her voice further muffled by her scarf. "Is someone there?" There was no response and she strained her ears for any futher movement.

"Finn?" She called out, a little louder this time, turning back the way she came. Or was it? Suddenly the forest floor seemed covered with leaves and underbrush, and while she was sure it was only in her panic, it were as if she could no longer make out the trail at all.

"Hello?" She called again, feeling a pressure rising in her chest. She did her best to pick out the trail and continued up it, but she could no longer be sure if she was headed back to the group, or deeper into the woods. The air felt cooler as she walked along, and the trees seemed to grow denser.

She had to admit it, she was lost and she was terrified.

Stopping again to take in her surroundings, she heard the same rustling as before. Her eyes grew round in fear, and she froze like a statue.

"Probably just a bunny." She whispered to herself in an attempt to calm down. It happened again, this time from somewhere completely different and she wrapped her arms around her midsection. "I big, fast, eat your face off bunny."

Without giving it a second thought, she turned and began sprinting through the trees. She couldn't have gone thar far, she just couldn't have. Her blood was pounding in her ears and she pushed along, images of a very similar wood coming to her mind as she ran. She took deep breaths of cold air, and realized her scarf had fallen back down around her neck.

"Hello?" She called out again, frantically, as she passed through thickets of brush that she hadn't remembered seeing before. She spun to the left and pushed on, stumbling over an exposed root and nearly falling on her face.

Tears were coming to her eyes now as the cold air stung her face, and fear wracked her body. She could see no trail, she could hear no one calling out for her. As she gasped another sharp intake of cold air she fell to her hands and knees, the world spinning slightly around her.

"Oh my god," She gasped heaving in deep breaths. "I'm going to die. I'm going to freeze to death in the woods, alone, the day after my sixteenth birthday!" At that she dropped onto her side, curling into the fetal position.

It was only then that she saw it. A large rock was just to her left, larger than any other she had ever seen before. It was round, and seemed strange so far from the rock formation they'd seen earlier, and yet it seemed familiar.

Getting slowly to her feet, she moved toward it, her shoulders shaking as her fear subsided ever so slightly to be replaced by curiosity. She reached out a shaky hand to brush her fingers across the rough surface of the boulder, and just as she made contact something shuffled behind her.

Spinning around she plastered herself against the side of the boulder in some sort of hopeless defense, and came face to face not with a bear, or some crazed mountain man out to get her, but with a girl. A very lovely, but normal looking girl who couldn't have been much older than she.

The girl was slightly taller than Rachel, and from a cursory glance she seemed very athletic. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a single braid, and the expression of her face coupled with her hands held up in surrender put Rachel only slightly at ease.

"Whoa. It's okay." She said quietly, still holding her hands out, palms up to show Rachel she intended no harm. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Who are you?" Rachel asked, her voice thick with accusation, even though this girl had of course not been the one to get her lost in the woods, and so far seemed to mean her no harm.

"You're lost." The girl replied, ignoring Rachel's question completely which caused the brunette to huff ever so slightly.

"I believe that much is clear, yes." She said in what she hoped was a calm tone. This girl appeared friendly, but one could never trust strangers that came upon them while lost in the woods in the middle of winter.

"What are you doing out here?" The girl asked, taking the tiniest step closer and Rachel attempted to push herself further back into the rock. Taking note of this the blonde nodded and took a large step back.

"Field...field trip." Rachel answered, her heart rate starting to return to normal, her breathing still a bit labored. The girl seemed to accept this fact, as she took in Rachel's heavy winter wear and trembling form.

"Where's your group?" She asked, her voice still calm, hands still raised.

"If I knew that, I don't believe I would be lost!" Rachel answered in exasperation, throwing her own hands up. At this the blonde let out a low chuckle and Rachel couldn't help but glare at her. "It's not funny."

The blonde cleared the throat and raised one eyebrow.

"It's a little funny." She offered, shrugging one shoulder. It was then that Rachel noticed what she was wearing. Her coat was heavy, brown wool like something Rachel's grandfather would have warn. She wore what looked like riding pants under tall brown boots that laced nearly to her knee. Other than that she wore no gloves, or hat to keep the chill away.

"Who are you?" Rachel asked again, this time attempting to keep the accusing tone from her voice. She didn't know this blonde stranger, but for now she was really her only hope of making it out of these woods and back to the group before she was eaten by wildlife.

The blonde looked Rachel up and down once more, before glancing cautiously from left to right. Rachel did the same, wondering if this girl had some sort of sense that a bear was approaching. When no bear did approach, Rachel looked back at her with a furrowed brow.

"My name's Quinn." She finally offered, lowering her voice ever so slightly. She finally let her hands fall down to her sides, making sure to keep them out of her pockets. Rachel watched the action carefully before returning her gaze to Quinn's eyes.

"That's a weird name for a girl." Rachel said without thinking, and this drew another laugh from the blonde.

"You're funny." Quinn said, shaking her head slightly. Rachel's furrowed brow only deepened. No one had ever called her funny before, unless they were addressing her looks.

"I'm Rachel." Was the only response she could think to come up with, and Quinn seemed to accept that, inclining her head slightly in what was almost a bow.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Rachel."

"Not really." Rachel said dryly. "No offense, it's simply that I'd rather not be freezing to death in the middle of the woods where some bear or mountain lion is waiting to make me a meal!" The pitch of her voice raised as she spoke and Quinn was laughing at her once again.

"There are no mountain lions in these woods." She offered slowly, amusement still lacing her tone. "And I haven't seen a bear for weeks." At this Rachel took pause, her posture relaxing ever so slightly as she once again looked quizzically at the mysterious blonde.

"What do you live here or something?"

At that Quinn froze, her expression going quickly from amused to something much harder to read. She drew her lips together into a thin line, her spine straightened ever so slightly.

"We should get you back." Was all she said.

"You can get me out of here?" Rachel asked, filing the blonde's curious change in demeanor away for future reference. The idea of being back home, in her comfortable house with her dad making her a big plate of food had never sounded so appealing.

"Of course I can." Quinn said simply. Rachel took a slight step forward and was about to start praising God in Quinn's honor when there was a slight rustle to her right, causing her to flatten against the boulder once more. Her ears perked at the sound and it was only then that she realized behind the rock was a small stream.

"I'm afraid that's really not possible, Q." A new voice said, and Rachel's attention snapped to the new comer. Another girl, a few years older than she and Quinn, was standing a few yards away. Rachel's eyes were immediately drawn to the pistol holstered at her hip. Her gulp was audible.

"Just let me lead her back to the trail." Quinn said, her voice taking on a smoky, serious tone that Rachel would have found delightful from a singer's point of view, had she not been frozen in terror.

"You know that can't happen." The second girl said, and Rachel's eyes rose from the weapon up to the girl's face. She was less a girl and more of a woman now that Rachel looked at her, and she looked almost exactly like Quinn, but even more serious. "She's seen too much."

"I haven't seen anything!" Rachel said quickly, holding her hands out much in the same way Quinn had done before. "I swear, I'm so turned around I wouldn't recognize my own face if I saw it in the mirror. Please, please just let me go home."

She pleaded with the stranger, and she saw Quinn's stony expression turn into a slight glare toward the other girl.

"She's telling the truth." She supplied in that same quiet voice, but the other blonde merely shook her head, moving closer to the both of them, her hand resting lightly on her pistol.

"You know what Pop said," She said simply, a barely detectable trace of sadness in her voice. "Anyone. Even little girls who get lost on school trips."

Quinn's frown deepened and she took half a step between the other girl and Rachel. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that you've said to much, and Rachel here needs to come with us." Without waiting she shoved past Quinn and grabbed Rachel by the elbow, tugging her along. Quinn followed quickly behind them, keeping easily in step with the older girl.

"Frannie, don't. You know what will happen. It doesn't have to be this way." She was almost pleading now, and Rachel felt her terror returning as she struggled to keep up with how easily the blondes moved through the thick underbrush.

"It's too late, Quinn." Frannie said, and behind them Quinn let out a huff of frustration. It was clear to Rachel now that the two were sisters, and the him they had referred to before would be their father.

"Please!" She begged again, tears stinging her eyes much as they had the day before but now for a completely different reason. "My name is Rachel Berry. I just turned sixteen yesterday! I...I sing in Glee Club and my dad's are waiting for me at home, please!"

She had seen on television once that if someone was trying to hurt you that you should tell them facts about yourself, to remind them that you are a person. Clearly Frannie had missed whatever episode of whatever show that had been.

"Hush you." She said to Rachel, before continuing to address her little sister. "We'll leave it up to Pop as to what to do with her. But don't go blaming me, Q. This is your fault. If you'd just kept quiet-"

"She was terrified!" Quinn hissed. "And lost in the woods, alone and cold and separated from her friends. She didn't' come here to find us, Frannie. She got lost on a school trip."

"Well she should have stayed on the path." Frannie responded gruffly, and Rachel could feel the tears streaming down her face, nearly freezing as the temperature dropped. The sun had almost set now. Surely the rest of the Club would have noticed she was missing. Surely they would come looking for her.

"And what happens when they come looking for her?" Quinn asked her sister, practically reading Rachel's mind as the three of them moved through a gap in the trees.

"They've come looking before." Was the only reply and the cold tone caused Rachel to shudder in fear. She was more convinced now than she had been when she thought a bear was after her that she was going to die tonight.

It was only minutes later, after a rough treck and more arguing from the blonde sisters that they reached a small clearing, with a small cabin right in the center.

Rachel couldn't help it, she gasped. Frannie released her at the sound, shoving her foreword, causing her to fall to her hands and knees once more. Quinn was by her side at an instant, but she did not touch her.

"It will be okay." The blonde said quietly as her sister headed up and into the house. Tears blurred Rachel's vision before she could take in anymore than the small structure, and the thin column of smoke rising from the chimney.

"It will be okay." Quinn repeated in a more soothing tone, but even she didn't sound so sure. Rachel leaned back onto her knees and looked up at the blonde who looked worried, though she was trying not too.

The door to the cabin banged open, and Rachel flinched as Quinn stood, once again slightly in front of her. Rachel squeezed her eyes shut, bracing to be shot by Frannie's pistol, but instead she heard a rather feminine gasp.

"Oh, Quinnie, what have you done?"

AUTHORS NOTE: Bonus points if you can guess what this is based on! Thanks for reading, please don't by shy about letting me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

"**The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." Ernest Hemingway**

There were many things she could have said at that moment, in vain attempts to save her own skin. She could have begged, or prayed, or reasoned until the cows came home but for perhaps the first time in her life Rachel Berry remained completely silent.

Just in front of her Quinn stood frozen, protecting this strange girl from what appeared to be her own family. To the right, Frannie still frowned at them disapprovingly, her stance rigid, her fingers playing about the butt of her pistol.

The woman who'd emerged from inside the tiny cabin looked much like the two girls, but older and kinder. Her eyes were a soft blue and her light blonde hair was pulled back into a simple braid similar to Quinn's. Clearly, this was the mother of the house.

"Oh, Quinnie." She said again as she came closer to where Rachel remained on all fours, terrified for her life. A few feet from her the woman crouched down, brushing her palms along the white apron she wore over an ankle length, hand sewn dress. She was very beautiful, and gave a soft smile that instantly put Rachel just a bit more at ease.

"What's your name, love?" There was a hint of an accent that Rachel couldn't place in her tone, as though perhaps she had been raised in a far off land many, many years ago. Rachel gulped in a breath of air, but could not trust her own voice just yet. Slowly she pushed up so that she was sitting on her knees, her dirty hands resting on her thighs.

"Her name is-" The woman cut a look to her youngest daughter that would freeze anyone in their tracks, and Quinn's mouth snapped shut.

"You'll kindly speak when spoken to, Quinn. The girl can speak for herself, can't you?" She returned her gaze back to Rachel, softening it substantially.

"Yes - yes, ma'am." Rachel said shakily, nodding her head slowly. "My name is Rachel. Rachel Berry. I'm terribly sorry to have intruded in any way."

"You didn't do anything wrong." Quinn spoke again, and this time her mother allowed it, even nodding in agreement. Frannie looked even more displeased.

"Pop said that anyone who got to close was to be brought here to be taken care of." She said gruffly.

"He meant poachers, Frannie!" Quinn said in exasperation. "Hunters, and park rangers sure. But a teenaged girl, lost on a school trip? You really see her as a threat?"

"I see everyone as a threat." Frannie retorted quickly.

"Now, girls, please. We have company. Let's leave the shouting match for after you father returns, shall we?" The older woman held out a hand for to help Rachel up, and she hesitated for only a moment before taking it. Something in her gut told Rachel that she could be trusted, as it did with Quinn. It was only the mysteriously aggressive Frannie that gave her pause.

"I promise I won't tell anyone." Rachel said quietly as she allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. She brushed her hands along her jacket anxiously. "I swear."

"Now, now, dear. We'll worry about all of that later. Why don't you come in for a nice cup of tea and calm your nerves." Rachel made quick eye contact with Quinn who nodded just enough to let her know it was okay, before nodding herself.

Frannie muttered something under her breath before storming off around the back of the cabin. Glad to be away from the ferocious blonde for a moment, Rachel took a breath and followed the other two into the cabin.

Inside was like something Rachel could never imagine. There was a very rustic feel to the place, that she wouldn't have been surprised to learn had been built by hand. At the threshold were a few steps down, leading into a spacious main room with a small kitchen. In one corner of the living area were two hand crafted bunks, stacked one on top of the other and beside it a small wooden door. There was a wood burning stove, that clearly had a fire in it, and a large basin sink in the kitchen attached to some sort of water pump.

A few lanterns hung at various points along the walls, and Rachel realized that this place definitely didn't have any electricity. It was like she'd stepped into one of the Little House on the Prairie books she'd loved so much as a kid.

Quinn's mom released her hand to head over to a small kettle that sat on the wood stove, and Rachel allowed Quinn to lead her to the dining table in the middle of the room. It had four beautifully crafted chairs, and Rachel sank into one, her knees shaking slightly. This was the most surreal thing that had ever happened to her in her short life.

"It's okay. Mom makes the best cup of tea you've ever had." Quinn took the seat across from her, her voice calm but her hands twisting anxiously in front of her.

"Thank you." Was all Rachel could say, and it was understood by both girls that she was talking about more than just a cup of tea. Quinn nodded and they stared at one another for a long moment, brown eyes locking with hazel.

"Here you go, Rachel." A cup of steaming tea was placed in front of her, snapping her attention away from Quinn as a light blush tinted her cheeks. There was something very serious and intense about the other girl, and this entire situation that Rachel had to admit was rather fascinating.

"Thank you, ma'am." Just because she was being held hostage in the woods by what appeared to be mountain folk, didn't mean that she had to forget her manners and she took a dainty sip. Quinn was right, it was delicious.

"You can call me Judy." Judy patted her on the arm, and shot a mysterious look to her youngest daughter before moving back over to the small stove.

"Thank you, Judy." Rachel said loudly enough for her to hear and the older woman shot her a bright smile. She took another sip of the tea, and felt her nerves begin to calm a bit. She had finally stopped shaking, and was feeling oddly comforted by the rustic little cabin.

"Are you okay?" Quinn asked her softly, and Rachel looked up at her, nodding slowly. The blonde looked utterly relieved. "I'm sorry about my sister. I'm sure you can guess that we don't have company very often."

Rachel actually chuckled at that and Quinn smiled at her even more brightly than Judy had, making her already lovely face seem to light up. She wore no make up and her clothing was simple and hand made, but Rachel was sure that Quinn had to be the prettiest girl she had ever seen.

"I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you." The blonde continued, and Rachel knew that she could trust her. Nobody had stood up for like this in all the years she'd been bullied at school, and they'd only just met. Sure, the circumstances were unusual, but Rachel liked to think she knew a trustworthy person when she met one.

"Thank you, Quinn." She said softly.

"You're welcome, Rachel." Came the quiet reply, and as Rachel finished off the rest of her tea, she found herself feeling strangely content to be sitting there with the other girl.

The hour Mr. Schuester had allowed them had almost elapsed, and most of the Glee Club had wandered back to the rock formation they'd seen before. Santana was freezing, irritated and bored out of her mind. This trip had been a complete joke as far as she was concerned and if there was one thing she couldn't stand it was having her time wasted.

"This sucks." She said to Brittany who was pleasantly wrapped around the left side of her body, at least keeping part of her warm. The blonde nodded in agreement, but before she could speak Mr. Schuester and Finn came traipsing back up the trail.

"Wow, that was a blast!" He practically cheered and Santana shot him her best glare. As usual he ignored it, clapping a hand on the shoulder of a very cold looking Kurt. "Did you guys have fun? I'm sure you've all got some great ideas after enjoying the fresh air, huh?"

"If we say yes can we go home now?" Artie asked, rubbing his gloved hands together in an attempt to stay warm. It was still light out, but the sun was clearly beginning to set and the temperature was rapidly dropping. The Spanish teacher took in the image of his trembling, grumpy students and sighed.

"All right, everyone to the bus. Let's get back before it gets any darker or colder out here." He began to lead the way back to the lake parking lot, and the club followed. That's when Santana noticed it. A very distinctly annoying someone was missing from their little group.

"Mr. Schuester." She spoke out before thinking about it. But by the time he'd turned to ask what was up, she had changed her mind. "Nothing, let's just go. I am way too hot to be this cold."

He looked confused, but merely pressed on and before long they were all back on the bus. Santana took her usual seat at the back and Brittany curled into her side, sleepy from the excursion.

"All here?" Mr. Schuester asked from the drivers seat, glancing back in the mirror that was positioned overhead. Santana fought back a smirk as the group mumbled an unenthusiastic yes, and the bus began to roll out.

Sure, it might have been a little mean. But Rachel had refused to share her scarf with Brittany before, and that had pissed Santana off more than anything the hobbit had done that day. She would let her freeze on her own for the hour it would take them to get back to town, and then 'realize' Rachel was missing. It was harmless, really. How much trouble could Rachel get into in one hour?

"You have a lovely home, Judy." Rachel offered as Quinn's mother took the seat next to her daughter, nursing her own cup of tea. She gave the young girl a smile. "And the tea was wonderful."

"Thank you, dear. I grow it myself. It took a few years to learn to brew it just right, but as they say practice makes perfect. Quinnie here's had a cup a day for as long as I can remember. She can get rather grumpy in the mornings if she hasn't had her tea."

"Mom." Quinn said, her eyes widening slightly as she sounded, for the first time since Rachel had met her, exactly like a teenaged girl. Judy laughed heartily and Rachel couldn't help but join in.

"My father's the same way with his coffee." She said easily, and an image of Marcus in his bathrobe, with a huge mug of coffee filled her minds eye. The thought was enough to almost knock her over as she thought of her fathers. Oh, how worried they both must be. Did they even know she was missing? Surely the club would have reconvened now and noticed her absence, right?

She paled at the idea that no one would even notice she was gone. That not one of her class mates might care if she was out of their lives forever, eaten by a bear or shot to death by a stranger in the middle of the woods. She took a shuddering breath at the thought.

"Rachel?" Quinn asked, concern written on her face, and Judy stood to fetch the girl a glass of water. She was looking rather flushed, and like she might burst into tears at any moment.

"My dad." Rachel said quietly, sniffing back the tears she could feel forming in the corners of her eyes. "He will be so awfully worried about me when I don't return home. I hate to think of how scared my parents must feel."

Judy quickly returned with a mason jar of water and set it down before her, giving her a gentle pat on the back.

"We'll get you home to them, love." She offered and Rachel wanted so desperately to believe her. "I know you must be frightened after what Frannie has said, but as Quinnie said, nothing bad is going to happen to you. She won't allow it and neither will I."

Quinn nodded fiercely at that, and Rachel took a big breath, giving both women a shaky smile. She felt more grateful to the two of them in the last hour than she had to most people her entire life.

"My husband may be strict," Judy pressed on. "But he is a kind man with a good heart, who I know will do anything he can to get you back to your parents."

"Thank you." Was all she could say, and it was all that needed to be said as the two blondes simply smiled at her. She took a long drink from the jar of water, and felt the tears begin to dissipate. A cold glass of water had always calmed her down after bad days and bad dreams, and the same was true now. It was a ritual so familiar that it made her feel infinitely better.

The three of them sat around the table for a time after that, with Judy asking Rachel question after question about her home life and her school life and herself. Some were simple, like what were her parents names, and Rachel was amused by the shocked look on both of their faces when she revealed she had two fathers. There was no malice in their eyes, or disgust like with some people, merely a strange kind of innocence that persisted throughout the conversation.

These people were unlike anyone she had met before. They were soft and strong at the same time, and clearly they'd lived out in the middle of nowhere for an age. There were no traces of technology, or store bought items in the house. In fact it seemed everything was hand sewn, the furniture hand made.

"How long have you lived here?" She asked before she could stop herself, her curiosity getting the better of her. It was clear from Frannie's blatant anger earlier that they preferred to be kept some sort of secret, but surely they must have come from somewhere.

There was a pregnant pause during which the two shared another mysterious look. It was fleeting, but meaningful and Rachel felt her curiosity grow.

"Longer than a lady would care to admit." Judy joked, smoothing back her hair and Rachel couldn't help but giggle, the tense moment broken for a second. Soon though a somber look crossed the older woman's face and she spoke directly to Rachel.

"I'm sure you've guessed that we've lived here for some time, Rachel. And that we like to live our lives away from the rest of the world. We Fabrays are a rather private people, and I hope that when we return you to your parents that you will respect our desire to remain as such."

"Of course!" Rachel agreed quickly. The Fabrays, as she now knew their last name to be, had been very kind to her when they could have left her to die. She knew that she would not do anything to jeopardize their mysterious existence.

"Thank you." Quinn said. "I'm sure it seems strange, but perhaps one day you'll understand." At that her mother shot her the same stern look as before, and Rachel found herself wanting to know more than anything what mysterious secret the family held.

Were they bank robbers? Illegal immigrants? Serial killers? The last one seemed unlikely as she was still very much alive, but one could never be to careful. The idea made her just the slightest bit nervous and she took another sip of water.

Just then, the little front door swung open and both of the women across from her froze momentarily. Rachel's eyes went wide as she realized who must be standing behind her. Judy had said that Mr. Fabray was to be trusted, but the fleeting look of terror that crossed both of their faces left her feeling otherwise.

"What is going on here?"

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I know this chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I wanted to get something out. Also, don't be mad at Santana. She will redeem herself. Please let me know what you think!


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